418. The life-saving addition to your common property
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In a residential setting, a cardiac arrest is more likely than a fire, yet most strata communities are completely unprepared to respond to such an emergency. My guest this week, Kurtis Vuko, is on a mission to do something about that, bringing life-saving equipment into strata buildings across the country.
What a great, community spirited idea
Thanks Helen! As I touched on in the podcast, we rely on a community approach (strata) as it is not financially realistic for every Australian home to own a defib. However, through strata, we can make a difference more economically, with a single defib serving multiple homes. Like many things, when we come together, the possibilities are endless.
Having a Defib unit in steers buildings is super important. If OC’s don’t want to pay for a defib unit like the one/s described in this podcast, ther is an Australian invention called CellAED that offers a subscription model for large-phone sized units that guide you through the steps to effectively use the unit. Definitely worth a look – even in a small building (3-4 floors) the reasonable cost allows for a unit to be mounted on the wall on every floor
Hi Kristen,
Thank you for your comment and interest in the podcast. I agree, it is super important.
As I touched on in the podcast, we work with only one supplier (Zoll Medical) for a number of reasons. I am not going to compare Zoll to CellAED, however, if any listeners would like to know Zoll’s Stats on the below points, please be in touch with me.
While the CellAED is well-marketed, there are a few things that people should consider:
1. Energy output:
The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends an initial energy output of 200 joules. CELL-AED’s maximum output is 85 joules, which is lower than this recommendation. Without going into too much detail, it may be unable to deliver a sufficient shock (one of the main functions of a defib).
2. The design is not functional for infants:
The CellAED presents unique challenges when used on infants. Users need to remove the top pad after delivering a shock and place it on the ground before performing CPR, then reattach the pad for the next cycle. This can cause delays when time is of the essence.
3. Value over lifespan:
A base CELL-AED costs $599. However, The latest CELL-AEDs have a lifespan of approximately two years. Therefore, over eight years, you would need to purchase four CELL-AEDs, costing around $2396, assuming no further price increases. Not to mention the environmental impact of regular replacement.
I would encourage anyone considering a defibrillator to do their research on the various brands & models available and I am happy to assist where possible.